The Prey, The Predator, & The Punisher
by kenxepe
Summary: This short story was not inspired by The Punisher comic books, but by The Punisher fan fiction in this very site by talented writers that are way too many to mention here. Check their stories out in my favorite list. Their stories will impress the F out of you.


DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Punisher, and I make no money from this fan fiction.

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The Prey, The Predator, & The Punisher

by Rhonnel Ferry

Joshua Visceral stalked the young couple quietly from a distance. He had been following them for hours, from when they left the university, to the awkward but still romantic dinner they had at that pizza parlor, even to the corny rom com they watched at the movie theater. And yet, as they walked beneath the stars, holding hands in this empty street, they were still unaware of him.

Joshua had become very good at being stealthy. Oh, it had nothing to do with any formal, military training. And he definitely was not a young, fit or agile man. He had gotten really good at stalking through practice. Also, he wasn't a very distinctive person to begin with. Average height, just a tad overweight, short dark curly hair. He looked like everybody else.

He didn't really know the names of the couple, though he had been observing them for weeks now. The boy was slim, almost skinny. Slightly taller than Joshua, but not impressively so. He was fair haired, neatly dressed in a clean button down shirt that may have been a size too big for him. As for the girl,... Well,...Joshua didn't really care what the girl looked like. She could have been a buck naked supermodel, and he would never have given her a second look.

See, Joshua only liked the boys. And the younger, the more innocent, the better. He would have them while they were still virgins, if he could. But he knew that would be hoping for too much. Especially these days. Then again, they were all virgins where he fucked them.

The thought made him chuckle inwardly.

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John Kowalski was on cloud nine! He was dating Kelly Wingate, the hottest girl in campus. They had known each other since grade school. And he had watched her get hurt by bad boy after bad boy after bad boy. But finally, her taste in men had changed. And she was willing to give the nice guy a shot. And he thought he had done pretty well. She had kissed him goodbye, after all. She hadn't invited him inside, but it was only their second date. And it wasn't just a friendly kiss either. No, that kiss had passion. That kiss had a future.

But it was John's own future that was uncertain that night.

The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood. And he felt the sensation of being watched. He warily looked around, and found no one. Nonetheless, he quickened his pace.

His friends had warned him about the serial rapist murderer that had twice shocked their small town in as many months. And he had jokingly responded that he would use his kung fu if the maniac ever dared to come after him. All his bravado escaped him now. And the next time he turned, he did find someone chasing after him!

"Oh, God!" John screamed, and he made a run for it.

The boy was light on his feet, but Joshua was spurred on by both adrenaline and desire.

Running out of breath, and unable to shake his pursuer, John knew that if he were to defend himself, he would have to do so now, while he still had the strength. And so he stopped running, and chose to fight.

"Alright!" he challenged. "Come on! Come get some!"

Joshua smiled, and produced a modified electric shock prod.

"What in the-" John reacted to the sight of the unfamiliar weapon.

Joshua jabbed the young man with the stick. John tried to defend himself, but as soon as the end of the prod touched his forearm, several bolts of electricity shocked his entire system! He began to twitch violently on his feet. Another shock, this time to his stomach, brought him down.

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Joshua Visceral was on cloud nine. He had just buried the body of his latest victim, and it would take them weeks before they could find the boy's remains. The mother would be all over the news, weeping and begging people for help in finding her son. The father would be furious, and he would demand justice. Joshua would watch all of these events unfold on TV from the comfort of his room. He would not feel any remorse. If anything, he would feel pride in eluding the authorities once more.

The only regret he ever felt, was that he could not have his victims over and over and over again. If only he had a sound-proof basement that he could lock them in. Then he would be able to use them for his satisfaction repeatedly for months. Perhaps even years! The thought aroused him once more. 'Oh well. Perhaps in the near future', he thought.

Then the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood. And he felt the sensation of being watched. He warily looked around, and found no one. Nonetheless, he quickened his pace.

He had heard many stories about the vigilante known as The Punisher. About how this man had executed a murderous nurse in the snow, and how he had supposedly singlehandedly decimated a faction of the triad in a derelict ballet studio in Chinatown. He had heard about how The Punisher used a sniper rifle to assassinate a female heroin dealer on Halloween, and a sawed-off shotgun to blow the brains off of a dirty cop. Witnesses even claimed seeing The Punisher stab a ninja in the eye during a fierce battle!

"A fucking ninja," Joshua scoffed. "There's no such thing as ninjas, so The Punisher must not be real, as well. He's nothing more than an urban legend. A fairy tale to scare bad little kids. A fictional character that belongs in a novel...or a comic book!"

But even as he said these words, all his confidence escaped him. And the next time he turned, he did find someone standing behind him.

It was a mountain of a man. Tall and broad shouldered. It was difficult to make out his features, since even the moonlight seemed to fear him. As if his figure was forever cloaked in shadow. And the only distinguishing factor you could truly make out, was the eerie, seemingly glowing skull symbol on his chest.

Joshua had never met nor seen The Punisher before. Yet he knew he stood in his presence, as naturally as a mouse recognized the danger from a cat.

The Punisher produced a Ka-Bar. And when the blade caught the light of the moon, Joshua panicked! He hysterically, and repeatedly stabbed at the ominous figure with his modified electric shock prod. But with the slightest of motions, his towering opponent effortlessly evaded every strike!

In desperation, and with all his might, Joshua lunged forward at his foe, not unlike a fencer with a foil! The Punisher sidestepped the move, and with his knife held in a reverse grip, he quickly made a long, deep laceration on his opponent's forearm!

Joshua was at first, dumbstruck by the sight of the horrid gash on his flesh. While he often took pleasure seeing the blood of others, the look of his own blood brought him nothing but sheer terror. Terror that made him scream uncontrollably!

The Punisher took advantage of his target's momentary perplexity and, like a painter with a brush, skillfully drew another deep red line. This time, across his enemy's face, blinding the man in one eye.

Overcome by hysteria, Joshua madly swung his modified electric shock prod in the air! Left and right! Right and left! Over and over, his demented screams echoed in the once still night!

"Christ," The Punisher grumbled in a gruff voice, shaking his head. "If I had known you were gonna make so much fucking noise, screaming like some whiny little bitch, I woulda' just shot you from the get-go. (Sigh!) Might as well."

With his free hand, The Punisher drew a Glock 17 from within his long dark coat, and shot Joshua in the throat. The screaming was instantly replaced by gurgling noises.

Joshua dropped his improvised weapon on the grass, and clutched at his throat with both hands, as if desperately trying to prevent the precious fluids from escaping. He was drowning in his own blood, and would most assuredly die eventually, but the Punisher did not let him suffer long, even if he absolutely deserved to.

The second bullet entered Joshua's skull through his remaining good eye, ending his life, along with his reign of terror. When his carcass finally stopped spasming on the ground, The Punisher relieved him of the cash in his wallet, his watch, and any other valuables in his person, to fund the vigilante's never ending war against monsters like him.

The Punisher also took the modified electric shock prod, as he recognized its usefulness as a tool in future interrogations.

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Frank Castle, The Punisher, was not on cloud nine. It had been many many years since he last experienced it. Back when his family still lived. He most likely did not even remember the feeling anymore. But what of it? Unlike Joshua Visceral, what frank Castle did was not about pleasure. It's about punishment.

END


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